Environmental Factor, October 2006, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Marc Hollander Is New Executive Officer

By Eddy BallOctober 2006

Executive Officer Marc Hollander.
(Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)

On September 17, NIEHS welcomed Marc Hollander as the new Executive Officer, holding the official title of Associate Director for Management. Hollander is a veteran executive with a track record of successfully facilitating coordination between administrative and scientific personnel and managing scientific operations.

In his new role, Hollander will influence virtually all operational aspects of NIEHS as it deals with the challenges of its FY 2007 budget and refocuses its research strategies. In announcing Hollander's acceptance of the position in April, Director David Schwartz wrote, "His previous experience has provided him with a very diverse background which will serve as a great asset to the future of this Institute. Some of these areas include serving as a Chief Information Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and EEO Officer." Hollander's duties will include overseeing the management of financial, human resource, information technology and procurement activities. He will also oversee the coordination of the institute's ethics and equal employment opportunity and diversity programs.

Before coming to NIEHS, Hollander was the manager of the Management and Technical Support Office at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Engineering and Safety Center. The center was formed in response to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board's final report as an independently funded NASA program with a dedicated team of scientific and engineering experts to provide objective engineering and safety assessments of critical, high-risk projects for the Agency. Prior to joining NASA, Hollander served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary and Chief Financial Officer for the Science and Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Among his roles at DHS was his position as first center director of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, formerly part of the US Department of Agriculture.

Hollander served in a series of progressively responsible positions after he joined the Department of Energy as a General Service budget officer in 1989. He spent his final years there in a Senior Executive Service position as the first chief information officer in the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a nuclear weapons and non-proliferation component of the department. Along with his many other accomplishments, he developed and issued the first NNSA Enterprise Information Architecture for the agency.

Hollander holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting from George Mason University and a master's degree in Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. He is a Certified Project Management Professional. In addition to his academic credentials, he is also a graduate of the Office of Personnel Management Federal Executive Institute and the Program Management Institute.

Hollander spoke of his new position with enthusiasm. "I already enjoy an excellent working relationship with Dr. Schwartz and a deep appreciation for the importance of the institute's mission," he said. "My strong desire to join this professional and dedicated community of scientists and support personnel was fueled by my passion for scientific advancement coupled with my long-standing ability to enable scientific and technical breakthroughs which will be good matches for achieving the goals of NIEHS in the years to come."

Hollander added, "I am delighted that Mr. Rich Freed has accepted the position of Deputy Executive Officer providing his invaluable insight and vast operational knowledge into the NIH as well as NIEHS' inner workings. I see Rich and me as a solid team on behalf of NIEHS, and am looking forward to working together."

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